Breakfast Club Blog
The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is a curated space where bloggers from around the world contribute content on a continual basis about a variety of topics relevant to in and out-of-school time. The BOOST Breakfast Club blog is at the heart of an ongoing dialogue where expanded learning and education professionals share their personal thoughts and stories from the in and out-of-school time field. They also tell us what they ate for breakfast!
The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is Brain Food for In and Out-of-School Time Leaders!
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Expanded Learning, Students with Disabilities, the Law, and the Opportunity
Join us for “Expanded Learning, Students with Disabilities, the Law, and the Opportunity,” a workshop designed to empower educators and stakeholders with essential knowledge about legal obligations and inclusive practices for students with disabilities. Explore the intersection of expanded learning funding and special education law, and discover strategies to enhance learning opportunities for all students. Read More
Empathy in Education: Lessons from Life and Loss
In Empathy in Education, I reflect on my journey through loss and resilience and how it transformed my approach to teaching and mentoring. Grief taught me that education goes beyond knowledge; it’s about nurturing the whole person—heart, mind, and soul. Together, we’ll explore how empathy, active listening, and compassionate support can create positive ripple effects, inspiring educators to build communities where everyone feels valued and empowered. Read More
Amplifying Employee Engagement: People-Centered Approaches to Boost Retention and Performance
Retention in out-of-school time is a prevalent challenge for many. In this landscape how we amplify employee engagement is critical to retention, job satisfaction, and performance. Learn how to take a people-centered approach to improve your employee’s experience and create a culture where employees thrive. In this session, we will look at how to assess employee engagement, craft strategies for improvement, and help you create an action plan to boost your employee’s experience for retention. Read More
An Introduction to Neurodiversity and Universal Design for Learning
In California’s Expanded Learning Programs, students with disabilities (SWD) represent a critical group that should be considered in the design and provision of programs. This session will explore how we can leverage this unique opportunity to actively create inclusive environments that foster belonging and success for all students. Read More
Literacy and SEL: A Complementary Partnership
Literacy and SEL foster a complementary partnership in classrooms. Through an interactive session, participants will explore how literary components embedded with SEL competencies reinforce students’ social, emotional, and academic development. Read More
Lights on Afterschool 101
Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool (LOA) is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families, and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage nationwide each year. This interactive workshop provides insights into how to plan a successful Lights On Afterschool event showcasing your program. Read More
Sourcing and Partnership for Retention
Engaged, reliable employees are vital to OST program success. Identifying and hiring such candidates is challenging in a competitive market, and ensuring their job satisfaction early on is crucial for retention. This session reviews the candidate lifecycle, offering strategies for sourcing and screening that enhance retention. We’ll also discuss post offer actions to ensure new hires are aware of resources, partners, and feedback platforms. Read More
Practical Everyday Habits: Creating Intentional Spaces
Curating learning environments with supportive curriculum enhances play, exploration, emotional safety, self-respect and gives students a sense of value and belonging. Explore how simple environmental changes and scaffolded tools can lead to a high-quality program with differentiated approaches. Intentionally led programs, utilizing universal supports, enhance engagement and learning outcomes for teachers and students. Learn plug-and-play tactics to elevate your program, improve collaboration be... Read More
Mind-Body Enrichment: Harnessing the Power of Group Rhythm
Engaging, Energetic, and Inspiring session of group drumming, games, and conversation. Come ready to play, laugh, and have a great time making music with your colleagues. The curriculum integrates activities from group drumming and group counseling to build core social-emotional strengths such as maintaining focus and attentive listening, impulse control, team building, positive risk-taking, self-esteem, awareness of others, leadership, expressing feelings, managing anger/stress, empathy, and gr... Read More
Addressing Challenging Behaviors
Have you ever had a child exhibit physical behaviors in your program? Have you had a child elope (leave the designated space) out of frustration or feeling overwhelmed? In this workshop participants will learn proactive and in the moment behavior support strategies. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of their impact, the why behind the behavior, and how to implement best practices in teaching to prevent challenging behavior in the first place. Read More
Leading with Purpose: How Empowered Staff Drive Student Success
Research highlights a powerful link between educator efficacy and student achievement. This session explores how staff empowerment fosters student success by creating an environment where staff feel purpose, ownership, and autonomy. Participants will gain practical strategies to inspire and support their teams, boosting motivation and helping students reach their full potential. Read More
Teaching is a Work of Heart – Supporting Your Talent to Support Your Students
Now is the perfect time to invest in your teachers to give them the confidence that they need to implement quality out-of-school programs with intentionality and care to best support the students they serve. Join an interactive session to share best practices around supporting your talent from recruiting, hiring, onboarding, professional development and career pathing. Read More